Open Sea, Artists from Singapore & South East Asia

An exhibition organized in collaboration with the National Heritage Board of Singapore and the Lyon Museum Contemporay Art

After China (Le Moine et le Démon in 2004), India (Indian Highway in 2011) and Brazil (Imagine Brazil in 2014), comes Open Sea, an exhibition exploring the contemporary art scene of South East Asia. With a major focus on Singapore—the veritable economic and cultural hub of the archipelago—Open Sea also showcases artists from countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Historically known for its sea routes, an alternative to the Silk Road, South East Asia has now opened up on a large scale to global trade, tourism and migration, to the extent that the specific cultures within this region have, for a long time, been shaped by a multitude of international influences and the forces of evolving modernity.

For the past three decades, this extraordinary ‘continent’—little known in Europe—has been increasingly receptive to contemporary art: installation and video art, photography, painting, drawing, etc. Over 2,000 m2 and two floors of the macLYON are dedicated to Open Sea, an exhibition that invites visitors to discover the works of over 30 artists from South East Asia. The
macLYON and the Lyon Biennale have long-standing ties with the Singapore Biennale, the Singapore Art Museum and the National Heritage Board. The choice of artists was influenced by the programming of these three cultural bodies.

Open Sea is part of the event, Singapour en France - le festival, which celebrates 50 years of Singapore-France diplomatic relations and Singapore's Golden Jubilee. Singapour en France - le festival is presented by Institut Français, the National Heritage Board and the National Arts Council (Singapore), and is supported in France by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, the Ministry of Culture and Communication, and in Singapore by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

As part of Singapour en France - le festival, the Palais de Tokyo will present the exhibition Secret Archipelago from March 27th to May 17th 2015, and Lille3000 will present Art Garden at the Gare Saint-Sauveur from April 15th to August 16th 2015.